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HOW IT’S COATED
A New FIU Coating Technology Heads to International Space Station
David Drucker
Florida International University – Miami (FL), United States This article was first published on FIU Magazine on August 23, 2022, and republished courtesy of the author.
A FIU - Florida International University’s lab has developed a new coating to protect machinery for use on the lunar surface - think rovers and excavators - against radiation levels up to 1,000 times greater than on Earth.
Humanity is heading back to the moon, this time to stay. An innovation from the FIU College of Engineering and Computing could be key to the quest’s success. NASA’s Artemis Program1 plans to build the first-ever base camp on the lunar surface. The agency seeks to generate scientific discoveries, economic benefits and inspiration for a new generation of explorers. Artemis’ success will depend in large part on protecting technology like rovers and excavation tools from the harsh elements of space. To help, FIU’s Plasma Forming Laboratory2 has developed an innovative coating material to shield structures at their movement and pivot points-the chinks in their armour. This fall, a sample of the coating is heading to the International Space Station, where it will be mounted to a platform outside the facility far exposure to space. The coating will then be analysed for its resistance to radiation. Radiation can interrupt signal processing in electronics and shorten the service lite of structures. “By attaching the material to the International Space Station, we can get close to simulating the real radiation that structures will face on the moon,” says Professor Arvind Agarwal, chair of the department of the
1 https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/ 2 https://pfl.fiu.edu/ mechanical and materials engineering department and director of the Plasma Forming Lab. FIU’s sample coating will be placed on the side of the International Space Station that directly faces the Sun. After six months, a crew of astronauts will take the material back to Earth far analysis. “Our team selected direct exposure to the sun because we want to be very harsh on our coatings,” says Sara Rengifo, a materials engineer at NASA who is working with Agarwal on the research. FIU and NASA scientists will be watching closely for how the coating changes temperature as the space station orbits Earth. Meanwhile, back at FIU and NASA laboratories, the material will be tested for its durability against lunar dust, tiny shards of rock found in abundance on the moon’s surface. NASA expects the test’s findings to benefit future missions. The resulting data could help the agency reduce service and repair needs. The research may also yield commercial implications in industries where materials face harsh conditions, such as in nuclear waste containment and hypersonic vehicles production. The research is a collaboration between public and private entities. Six Panthers are working on the project, including four interns. FIU is the principal academic partner.
© FIU © NASA
ART WITHIN SURFACES
“Always beginning over again”:The Seamless Artworks of Alexander Calder
Through the use of particular shapes, colours and shadows, Alexander Calder has been able to convey a sense of uninterrupted motion to his art installations. From small wooden and metal sculptures to cars and even an airplane, the American artist has created an impressive collection of artworks that have been showcased during the exhibition “Modern from the Start”.
Growing up in a family of classically trained artists, the American sculpture Alexander Calder has instead decided to revolutionise the concept of movement and space with his abstract colourful installations. He reimagined the concept of sculpture as an experiment of uninterrupted motion, upending centuries-old notions that claimed it should be static, grounded and dense by making artworks that often move freely and interact with their surroundings. “Calder’s objects are like the sea: always beginning over again, always new,” wrote the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. This is clearly visible in “Modern from the Start”, an immersive art exhibition of 70 artworks from the American sculptor hosted by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan, New York. During his career, Calder developed a new method of sculpting: by bending and twisting metal wire, he was basically capable of drawing three-dimensional figures in empty spaces. Bringing together painted stainless-steel sheets and other metal sculptures, iron rods and pipes, steel wires and wooden inserts, works on paper, jewellery and mobiles, the exhibition takes a deep dive into the full breadth of the artist’s career and inventiveness. The compositions seem to keep themselves in balance while dancing. Despite being static, the sculptures suggest the idea of movement thanks to numerous wires and the lights reflected on the colourful sculptures. As a matter of fact, Calder has always considered paints as another tool to convey a senso of movement, as also demonstrated by the DC8-62 plane and the BMW 3.0 CSL painted by the artist himself.
